JP2013050266A - Remote controller and air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a remote controller that clearly indicates whether the device is in energy-saving mode or not and how much energy is saved, and to provide an air conditioner with the remote controller.SOLUTION: The remote controller 1 that communicates with an indoor unit includes: a rating button 5 having a function of rating a current setting state according to rating rules based on energy saving; and a display 2 for displaying a rating result.

Description

  The present invention relates to a remote controller and an air conditioner including the remote controller.

Air conditioners are multifunctional and highly functional, and a remote control device (hereinafter abbreviated as “remote control”) for setting and using the functions is also a multi-button or menu format. It has become.
The following are disclosed as such a remote controller or an air conditioner using the remote controller.

  For example, in Patent Document 1, the energy saving rate is calculated based on the operating status of the air conditioner and displayed on the remote controller. Moreover, the target energy saving rate can be set (change by the input means is also possible), and the operation is suppressed when the target energy saving rate falls below the target. The energy saving rate is calculated by calculating the required frequency based on the set temperature and room temperature and comparing it with the reference value, comparing the inverter frequency of the outdoor unit with the reference, comparing the opening of the electronic expansion valve and the reference value, etc. Is disclosed.

  In Patent Document 2, an air conditioner that transmits and receives information by bidirectional communication between an indoor unit and a remote control device includes a button for requesting information transmission to an indoor unit provided in the remote control device, and presses the button. As a result, an information signal is transmitted from the indoor unit, and the information is displayed on the display unit of the remote control device. The information signal includes energy saving operation information, recommended operation information, a difference between the electricity cost when the energy saving operation is not performed and the electricity cost when the energy saving operation is performed, and the like. Execution / non-execution of energy saving operation information can be selected, and when executed, energy saving operation can be set.

JP 2010-54153 A JP 2011-33285 A

However, since both Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 display the energy saving rate and the difference electricity cost based on the operating condition of the air conditioner, information cannot be obtained unless the air conditioner is operated. Therefore, when the air conditioner is stopped (before starting), there is a problem that it is not possible to determine whether or how much the current setting is energy saving.
In Patent Document 2, energy saving operation information can be acquired and set. However, since it does not know how effective it is for energy saving, there is a problem that the user is confused about whether to set or not. there were.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and provides a remote controller and an air conditioner equipped with the remote controller that clearly show whether the current setting is energy saving and how much energy is saved. The purpose is to provide.

  A remote controller according to the present invention includes a scoring button having a function of scoring a current setting state according to a scoring rule determined from the viewpoint of energy saving in a remote controller that communicates with an indoor unit, and a display unit that displays a scoring result. It is a thing.

  According to the above configuration, scoring is performed from the viewpoint of energy saving according to the setting state of the remote controller, and the scoring result is displayed. Therefore, whether the current setting is the energy saving setting even when the air conditioner is stopped (before starting) This has the effect of clearly knowing how much energy is saved.

It is an external view of the remote control in Embodiments 1-3 of the present invention. It is a figure which shows an example of a scoring rule. It is a figure which shows an example of the scoring result displayed on a remote control. It is a figure which shows an example of the change of scoring after the setting screen displayed on a remote control and the setting 1 setting with respect to the present scoring. It is a flowchart explaining the function of a scoring button. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen displayed on a remote controller in Embodiment 2. FIG. 6 is an external view of a remote control according to Embodiment 2. FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a correction rule in the third embodiment. 10 is a flowchart for explaining a function of a scoring button in the third embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
FIG. 1 shows an external view of the remote controller 1. The remote controller 1 performs one-side communication or two-way communication with an indoor unit (not shown), and roughly includes a display unit 2, an operation button 3, various button groups 4, and a scoring button 5. ing.
Although the indoor unit is not shown here, it is the same as the conventional one, and is an indoor unit as shown in Patent Document 2 described above. The indoor unit includes at least a blower and a heat exchanger that constitutes a part of the refrigeration cycle, and has a function of sucking indoor air and blowing air conditioned by the heat exchanger into the room again. The function is remotely controlled by the remote controller 1, and the operation is performed in a desired mode among the operation modes such as cooling, heating, dehumidification, ventilation, and laundry.

  The display unit 2 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal screen, and the operation state of the indoor unit, the setting state of the remote controller 1, and the remote control 1 for two-way communication process information acquired by transmission / reception with the indoor unit, or process the information Display information. In addition, the display means of the display part 2 is not restricted to a liquid crystal.

  The operation button 3 is a switch for turning on / off the operation of the indoor unit.

  The button group 4 includes, for example, a menu button 4a, an enter button 4b, a return button 4c, a cursor up (plus) button 4d, a cursor down (minus) button 4e, a scene select button 4f, a cooling operation button 4g, and a dehumidifying operation button. 4h, heating operation button 4i is included. Of these, the menu button 4a, the enter button 4b, the return button 4c, the cursor up (plus) button 4d, and the cursor down (minus) button 4e are combined in a single circle mainly to improve the appearance and operability. It is an arranged composite button.

When the scoring button 5 is pressed, the scoring button 5 has a function of scoring the current setting state of the remote controller 1 from the viewpoint of energy saving.
FIG. 2 shows an example of scoring rules 1 and 2 that serve as scoring standards. The scoring rules 1 and 2 are stored in a storage unit (ROM) of a control device built in the remote controller 1. When the scoring button 5 is pressed, the calculation unit of the control device calculates (scores) the energy saving value in the current setting state of the remote controller 1 according to the scoring rules 1 and 2. The calculation result (scoring result) is displayed on the display unit 2.

  Next, the function of the scoring button 5 will be described using the flowchart of FIG.

  When the scoring button 5 of the remote controller 1 is pressed (step S101), the current setting state of the remote controller 1 is scored using the scoring rules 1 and 2 of FIG. 2 (step S102). For example, if the sensor control 2 and the automatic wind speed are set in the cooling setting and the set temperature is 27 ° C., the reference point (50 points) + the sensor control 2 (+10 points) + the automatic wind speed (+10 points) + the set temperature 27 ° C. −10 points) = 60 points. This score is displayed as the score of the current setting state as shown in FIG.

  After a predetermined time has elapsed (step S103), the display unit 1 transitions to the screen in FIG. In FIG. 4, items whose settings can be changed are arranged, and “LE” is displayed for the currently set settings. In the flowchart of FIG. 5, the setting state is determined in order from the top item in FIG. 4 (step S104). If the corresponding setting item is in the setting state, the score when the setting item is canceled is the scoring rule of FIG. Trial calculation is performed using 1 and 2 (step S105). On the other hand, if the corresponding setting item is in the released state, the score when it is temporarily set is estimated using the scoring rules 1 and 2 in FIG. 2 (step S106). It is checked whether the trial calculation of all items displayed in FIG. 4 has been completed (step S107). If not completed (step S109), the process returns to step S104 and the trial calculation is repeated until the trial calculation of all items is completed.

  If the trial calculation of all items has been completed (step S107), as shown in FIG. 4, the cursor is hit among the scores of the current setting state scored in step S102 and the trial calculations in steps S105 and S106. Both the trial calculation results for the item (setting 1 in FIG. 4) are displayed on the screen (step S108).

  As described above, according to the first embodiment, scoring can be performed from the viewpoint of energy saving according to the current setting state of the remote controller 1, so that the current setting is the energy saving setting even when the air conditioner is stopped (before starting). And how much energy is saved. In addition, by displaying how the number of points changes when the setting is changed, it is possible to easily select and set a setting that is more energy saving.

The scoring button 5 is not limited to use only when the air conditioner is stopped, and may be used while the air conditioner is in operation.
Furthermore, although the scoring is performed from the viewpoint of energy saving, scoring may be performed from the viewpoint of comfort and other aspects. Further, although the point notation is used, the same effect can be obtained by an expression method such as a level display even if it is not a point.
Moreover, although the score is a method that makes it easy to understand a score of 0 to 100, it is not limited to this, and it may be a score of 200 or 1000, or an expression method using a negative score.

The scoring rule shown in FIG. 2 is an example, and the reference point may be different or the scoring may be different depending on the operation mode. Further, not only the set temperature but also a method of assigning points based on the set humidity and a finer wind speed may be used.
All items that can be set with the remote controller 1 can be subject to scoring due to differences in scoring viewpoints.
Multiple operating mode scoring (scoring according to the current settings of each mode such as cooling, heating, dehumidification, air blowing, laundry, etc.) may be seen, in which case, for example, which operating mode depends on the season Will help you if you are wondering what to use.

In addition, although it is assumed that the screen transition is made after a predetermined time has passed in step S103, the screen may be transitioned by pressing the scoring button 5 again or pressing another button (button group 4).
In addition, the numerical values are displayed after trial calculation of all items in the series of operations from step S104. However, only the setting items on which the cursor is hit may be trial calculated, and the trial calculation results and the current scoring results may be displayed. . In this case, if the setting item to which the cursor has moved is in a state that requires a trial calculation (such as when it is selected for the first time after the scoring button 5 is pressed), the trial calculation is performed at that point.
When the setting state of the setting item is changed, the current setting state is changed. Therefore, recalculation is performed from step S102, and the number of points according to the current setting is displayed.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
The external appearance of the remote controller 1 is as shown in FIG. The configuration and functions of the remote controller 1 are basically the same as those in the first embodiment. The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that a screen as shown in FIG. 6 is displayed when the scoring button 5 is pressed.
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen displayed on the remote controller 1. Here, the “current setting score” on the screen of FIG. 6 is a result calculated by the same method as in the first embodiment. Buttons 2a, 2b, and 2c of “collective setting”, “individual setting”, and “return” are displayed below the middle of the screen. The scoring result when batch setting is set is displayed in the middle of the screen, and an image whose display content (expression) changes depending on the score is displayed in the upper left of the screen.

When the “individual setting” button 2b is pressed (the cursor is moved with the (plus) button 4d and the (minus) button 4e and the enter button 4b is pressed), the screen shifts to the screen as shown in FIG. Settings can be selected and set.
The “batch setting” button 2a is a button that can be pressed once to obtain a high score. For example, the remote controller 1 that employs the scoring rules 1 and 2 in FIG. Is a button for setting sensor control 1, automatic wind speed detection, absence detection, current control, and setting control to raise the set temperature at once.

  In addition, when a high score is acquired by pressing the “batch setting” button 2a, or by pressing the “individual setting” button 2b and setting a plurality of setting items on the setting screen as shown in FIG. 4, a high score is acquired. In such a case, the image at the upper left of the screen is changed. For example, the higher the score, the more happy or congratulated the image (pig in FIG. 6) is displayed, and the lower the score, the more sad or angry the image is displayed. Is done.

By providing such a button, it is possible to set to a setting that can obtain a high score without complicated operations at once, and it is possible to easily set to an operation that saves energy.
In addition, since the image changes as the number of points increases / decreases, it is possible to show the enjoyment of scoring up (more energy saving), and energy can be saved happily.

In FIG. 6, buttons are displayed on the display unit 2, but as shown in FIG. 7, a hard button 6 may be provided, and setting to obtain a high score by operating the collective button 6 may be possible.
Further, although the image is changed when a high score is obtained after setting, the image may be changed from the beginning depending on the scoring result according to the current setting state.
If the image is displayed in the lower part of the screen in FIGS. 3 and 4 in the first embodiment, the same effect can be obtained in the first embodiment.

Embodiment 3 FIG.
The external appearance of the remote controller 1 is as shown in FIG. The configuration and functions of the remote controller 1 are basically the same as those in the first embodiment. The third embodiment is different from the first and second embodiments in that the scoring result is corrected. FIG. 8 shows an example of the correction rule, and FIG. 9 is a flowchart for explaining the function of the scoring button when scoring by bidirectional communication between the indoor unit and the remote controller 1 using this correction rule.

  The function of the scoring button 5 will be described using the flowchart of FIG.

  When the scoring button 4 of the remote controller 1 is pressed (step S101 ′), an operation information acquisition request is transmitted to the indoor unit, and the current setting state of the remote controller 1 is scored using the scoring rules 1 and 2 of FIG. (Step S102). For example, if the sensor control 2 and the automatic wind speed are set in the cooling setting and the set temperature is 27 ° C., the reference point (50 points) + the sensor control 2 (+10 points) + the automatic wind speed (+10 points) + the set temperature 27 ° C. −10 points) = 60 points. This score is displayed as the score of the current setting state as shown in FIG.

  After a predetermined time has elapsed (step S103), the display unit 1 transitions to the screen in FIG. In FIG. 4, items whose settings can be changed are arranged, and “LE” is displayed for the currently set settings. In the flowchart of FIG. 9, the setting state is determined in order from the top item in FIG. 4 (step S104). If the corresponding setting item is in the setting state, the score when it is canceled is the scoring rule of FIG. Trial calculation is performed using 1 and 2 (step S105). On the other hand, if the corresponding setting item is in the released state, the score when it is temporarily set is estimated using the scoring rules 1 and 2 in FIG. 2 (step S106). It is checked whether the trial calculation of all items displayed in FIG. 4 has been completed (step S107). If not completed (step S109), the process returns to step S104 and the trial calculation is repeated until the trial calculation of all items is completed.

In step S107, if all items have been calculated, it is confirmed whether reception has not failed (step S110). If not, reception has been confirmed (step S112), and reception has to be completed. Return to step S110.
If reception has been completed, a correction value is calculated using the received content and the correction rule of FIG. 8 (step S113). For example, if the difference between the set temperature and the outdoor temperature is large, the power used to cool (or warm) the set temperature will increase, resulting in a deduction. If the room windows and doors are open, the room air will escape to the outside. Therefore, it will be greatly deducted. Also, if the information of the living area (the area where people usually live in the room) is small, points will be added, and if it is large, points will be deducted. However, depending on the sensor control settings, the size of the living area may be irrelevant (for example, if the sensor control is disabled, the living area cannot be grasped). To do.

  When the correction is completed for all the setting items, as shown in FIG. 4, the score of the current setting state scored in step S102 and the result of the trial calculation in steps S105 and S106 are corrected in step S113. Both the trial calculation results for the selected item (setting 1 in FIG. 4) are displayed on the screen (step S113).

  By doing so, scoring can be made from the viewpoint of energy saving according to the current setting state of the remote controller 1, and information on the room condition, user setting tendency, and current human operating condition information can be obtained from the indoor unit. By correcting the scoring result, it is possible to prompt the room or user to make more energy-saving settings.

In addition, by displaying how the score changes when the setting is changed, it is possible to easily select a setting that is more energy saving.
Furthermore, although the scoring is performed from the viewpoint of energy saving, scoring may be performed from the viewpoint of comfort and other aspects.

  If reception fails in step S110, correction is made by using only invariable information that can be used (for example, room layout, area information where people mainly live in the room, etc.) among the results received last time. Data is created (step S111). That is, correction is performed by ignoring real-time information (such as indoor / outdoor temperature / humidity information). If the operation in step S110 is used, correction data can be created in the same manner even when the air conditioner is stopped (before starting). If operation information is received from the indoor unit after activation or after reception failure, the correction can be performed again at that time. The operation information includes at least information on indoor / outdoor temperature / humidity, sensation temperature, floor and ceiling temperature, room temperature unevenness, presence / absence of occupants, and location of people. In addition, there are a person's activity (whether the person is moving or stopped), person's posture information (foot and head position information), wind direction and wind speed information, average set temperature and humidity, fuel consumption information, and the like. In addition, the communication of the request for obtaining the driving information is performed in step S101 ′ in the third embodiment. However, since it is necessary for the correction, it is sufficient that the information can be obtained before that time (at the time of transition to step S103 or S110). May be implemented).

The scoring rule in FIG. 2 and the correction rule in FIG. 8 are examples, and the reference point may be different or the scoring may be different depending on the operation mode. Further, not only the set temperature but also a method of assigning points based on the set humidity and a finer wind speed may be used. Due to differences in scoring viewpoints, all items that can be set with the remote controller 1 and all information obtained from the indoor units can be subject to scoring.
A plurality of operation mode scoring results (scoring according to the current setting state of each mode such as cooling, heating, dehumidification, air blowing, and laundry) may be seen, and the correction may be different depending on the operation mode. In that case, for example, it is helpful when wondering which operation mode to use depending on the season.

Although the screen transition is made after a predetermined time has passed in step S103, the screen may transition by pressing the scoring button 5 again or pressing another button (button group 4).
In addition, the numerical values are displayed after trial calculation of all items in the series of operations from step S104. However, only the setting items on which the cursor is hit may be trial calculated, and the trial calculation results and the current scoring results may be displayed. . In this case, if the setting item to which the cursor has moved is in a state where a trial calculation is necessary, the trial calculation is performed at that time.
When the setting state of the setting item is changed, the current setting state is changed. Therefore, recalculation is performed from step S102, and the number of points according to the current setting is displayed.

Further, the remote controller 1 is provided with means (not shown) for storing the current scoring result in step S102 and the correction data in step S111 and step S113, and the scoring result and the history of correction data are displayed in time series graph notation and operation. By displaying the display for each mode and the display that can be compared with the past simultaneous period on the display unit 1, it is possible to visually check the change in the score, and it is possible to further raise energy saving awareness. .
In addition, by showing the correction data and the history of increase / decrease in the number of points resulting from the correction, if you live with care (or set remote control settings) for each user, you can drive with higher scores (more energy savings). It will be possible to let you know if you can.

  1 remote control, 2 display unit, 3 operation button, 4 button group, 5 scoring button, 6 collective button.

Claims (11)

In remote control that communicates with indoor units,
A scoring button having a function of scoring the current setting state according to scoring rules determined from the viewpoint of energy saving;
A display for displaying the scoring results;
Remote control characterized by comprising.   The remote controller according to claim 1, wherein scoring is possible even when the indoor unit is stopped.   The display unit displays a settable item and a cursor capable of selecting the item. When the cursor is on an item that has not been set, the display unit displays a trial calculation result when the item is set. 3. The remote controller according to claim 1, wherein when the cursor is on an item being set, a trial calculation result when the item is canceled is displayed.   4. The remote controller according to claim 3, wherein the display unit displays both the scoring result in the current setting and the one of the trial calculation results.   3. The remote control according to claim 1, further comprising a button for enabling setting at once to a setting capable of obtaining a high score.   The remote control according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein an image of the display unit is changed in accordance with a change amount of the increase / decrease in points before and after the setting. In remote control that communicates with indoor units in both directions,
A scoring button having a function of scoring the current setting state from the viewpoint of energy saving,
A display for displaying the scoring results;
Correction means for receiving driving information from the indoor unit and correcting the scoring result using the driving information;
Remote control characterized by comprising.   8. The remote controller according to claim 7, wherein the operation information includes at least information on indoor / outdoor temperature / humidity, body temperature, floor / ceiling temperature, room temperature unevenness, presence / absence of occupants, and location of persons. .   The remote controller according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the scoring result is corrected by using only usable invariant information among the driving information acquired at the time of the previous stop for scoring before driving.   8. The remote controller according to claim 1, wherein a score history can be confirmed on the display unit.   An air conditioner comprising: an indoor unit; and the remote control according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein energy saving setting of the indoor unit is enabled by the remote control.